Baseball Scores Double Digits in Pair of Victories

Doane Baseball opened their four-game series at Park (Mo.) on Sunday with a pair of victories. In the opener, the Tigers won 10-1 and followed with an 11-5 victory in the final game.

Aaron Forrest started the opening game and held the Pirates hitless over the first four innings. Meanwhile, the Tigers built a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. Two runs scored on an error to start the scoring. Nate Mensik followed with an RBI-single and James Griess added a sacrifice fly.

Park picked up a couple of hits and plated their only run of the game in the fifth inning. Doane followed with four runs in the sixth inning. Griess started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to drive in Mensik. Brett Meyer followed with his third hit of the game, a solo home run. Two batters later Lukas White hit a two-run home run for an 8-1 lead.

Doane's final two runs came in the seventh inning. Braden Olson doubled to plate a run and Tanner Black drove in a run with a ground out.

Forrest threw a complete game, allowing five hits and one run with eight strikeouts over 7.0 innings. He threw 98 pitches with 74 strikes.

The offense had five extra base hits out of their 11 in the game. Meyer and White were each 3-for-4 with a run scored. Mensik was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. White and Griess posted two RBIs apiece.

Doane jumped out to a big lead in the opening innings and held on for the win. The first run of the game came across on a Pirate throwing error in the opening frame. In the second inning, Mensik hit a solo home run for a 2-0 lead. Meyer added an RBI-single and Justin Nevells drew a bases loaded walk for a 4-0 lead.

Luke LaChance opened the scoring in the third inning with a solo home run. Meyer followed with another RBI-single and Joe Osborn hit a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 7-0. Meyer scored the eighth run of the game on a wild pitch and Narumi Okayasu had an RBI-single to give the Tigers a 9-0 lead.

Park came back with three runs in the bottom of the third and added two runs on a home run in the fifth inning. Doane added two runs in the 7th inning behind a Park error.

Meyer had another 3-for-4 game, scoring twice and driving in two. Okayasu and LaChance added two hits apiece. Black scored three runs with Griess adding two.

Julian Vargas returned to the mound after missing the past two weekends and went 2.0-plus innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two while on a pitch count. Zach Schuchardt, Jake Johnson and Hyunjun Chung combined for 5.0 innings in relief, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Doane and Park will complete their series on Monday, March 6, with first pitch scheduled for noon.